1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for supporting an air actuated plate cylinder, and more particularly to an apparatus operable to facilitate the installation or removal of a print sleeve which is utilized in connection therewith.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the printing industry, assorted machinery has been designed, developed and manufactured with the idea in mind of eliminating as much manual labor as possible. As should be understood, printing practices, heretofore, have been highly labor intensive operations and therefore the direct costs of labor and equipment that are required to print selected products have usually been substantial. In this regard, a variety of devices and practices have been developed and employed over the years to reduce the direct costs of labor and equipment utilized in various printing processes.
For example, the printing industry has recently employed seamless nickel printing sleeves in combination with air actuated plate cylinders to facilitate printing operations. As should be understood, the seamless nickel printing sleeves are designed so as to be mounted, by employing a friction fit, on and about the related plate cylinder. Therefore, the tolerances, that is, the inside diameter of the individual print sleeves are closely complementary to the outside diameter of the plate cylinder thereby permitting the plate cylinder to be telescopingly received in mating receipt with the respective print sleeve.
While this operable combination of a seamless nickel print sleeve and a plate cylinder operates with a high degree of efficiency, problems are frequently encountered in employing same when the respective print sleeves are removed, or are otherwise installed. To effect installation of the print sleeve, an operator of a printing machine will physically remove the air actuated plate cylinder from the machine and thereafter couple it in fluid communication with a source of pressurized air. Upon pressurization, the pressurized air escapes through a plurality of apertures formed in the exterior peripheral surface of the plate cylinder and is captured between the plate cylinder and the print sleeve which is being installed. This trapped air expands the print sleeve and thereby provides a cushion of air upon which the print sleeve is carried. This action of the pressurized air upon the print sleeve facilitates the print sleeves removal from, or installation upon, the plate cylinder as operational conditions warrant. While the basic procedure, or method for installation and removal of a print sleeve appears to be relatively simple, problems are frequently encountered in removing or installing a print sleeve as the overall size of the plate cylinder increases. In the case of large plate cylinders, printing machines employing same may be out of production for hours as these same large plate cylinders are removed and the respective print sleeves are removed and new print sleeves are installed for subsequent printing operations.
Still another problem encountered with the prior art practices and devices which have been utilized heretofore to aid and assist in the removal or installation of the aforementioned print sleeves is the propensity for these devices and other mechanisms to exhibit a characteristic inability to cooperate with other devices borne on the printing machine or which are located in the same or in adjoining workstations. In this regard such devices and practices have typically been cumbersome to utilize or implement, or further have been difficult to adjust such that they may be rendered operable to accommodate print cylinders having various longitudinal dimensions.
Therefore, it has long been known that it would be desirable to have an apparatus for supporting an air actuated plate cylinder to facilitate the installation or removal of a print sleeve, and which could be employed in a wide variety of different environments, which could be manufactured and purchased at relatively moderate cost, which is both highly efficient in operation and capable of facilitating the rapid installation or removal of print sleeves in a manner not possible heretofore, and which reduces to an absolute minimum the assorted problems associated with the removal and installation of assorted print sleeves for use in the printing industry.